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During Angola's 16-years of civil war, an estimated 100,000 children were orphaned, and large numbers of
children suffered the shock of attack, displacement, separation from
parents, destruction of home, hunger, inadequate health care, and often
crippling landmine-related accidents.
Research completed by Christian Children's Fund in 2004
identified that
in Huambo alone, approximately one in ten young people between eight
and twenty-five were forcefully abducted at least once during the war. The boys were allocated
to soldiers as their personal assistants; the girls provided logistics support services and
accompanied the military attacks. Both girls and boys describe extreme physical hardship with
long-term after-effects from their injuries.
USAID, through the Christian Children's Fund (CCF), has helped reintegrate more
than 300,000 traumatized children in
Angola through a variety of community organizations, non-governmental
organizations, and government ministries. USAID-funded projects have
provided training and follow-up guidance to 4,000 adults who help
children come to terms with their war experiences. USAID also funds the
Save the Children Fund of the United Kingdom (SCF-UK) in Angola.
Given the years of conflict, a large number of children have become
separated from their parents. USAID and Save the Children work with the
Government of Angola to help document, trace, and reunite children with
their families and to discourage the institutionalization of these
children. NGOs, community organizations, and churches all serve as
partners in reuniting families.
Learn more about USAID's current Displaced Children & Orphans Fund programs in Angola. |
